Wednesday 12th. Begun to Unload the Corn and sent it ashoar to a Store hired for that purpose. Mr. Moon appointed Agent for the Owners.[55] Opened a bb. of pork.
Thursday 13th. Landed all our Corn and made a Clear hole of the prize. att 9 PM. it begun to thunder and Lighting very hard. Our Sloop Received great damage by a thunder bolt that struckt our Mast and Shivered it very much, tore a large peice off of the hounds and as it fell tore up the bitts[56] and broke in the hatchway, burst through both our Sides, and Started the plancks under her whale,[57] melting several Cutlashes, pistolls, and fired off several Small Arms, the bullets of which stuck in her beam. It was some time before we perceived that she Leakd, being all thunder Struck, the Master stepping over the Side to Examine her put his foot on a planck that was Started on the Larboard side, and all this time the water was pouring it [in]. we Immediatly brought all Our Guns on the Starboard Side to Give her a heel and Sent the boat ashoar for Our Doctor, a Man being hurt by the Lighting, Wm. Jackson. when we Gott her on a heel we tryed the pumps, not being able to do it before, for our Carefull Carpenter had ne'er a pump-box Rigg'd nor fitt to work so had it not been for the Kind assistance of the Man of warr's people, who hearing of Our misfortune ashoar Came immediatly off and put Our Guns on board the prize, we must Certainly have Sunk, most of Our hands being ashoar. This day James Avery Our Boatswain was turned out for neglect of duty and Ralph Gouch put in his Room.
Friday 14. This Morning Came on board Capt. Frankland and Lieut. Stewart[58] to see the misfortune we had Suffered the Night before. he Offered his Assistance in all he Cou'd and Spared Us his Carpenter who view'd the Mast and said he thought he coud make it do again. The Capt. hearing of a peice of timber for his purpose waited on his Excellency to desire him to lay his Command on Mr. Jno. Thompson[59] to Spare it him. He sent Mr. Scott, Judge of the Admiralty, to Go and Gett it in his name, promising to make it Good to him in Case of any trouble, the peice not being is [his]. Unloaded all Our provisions and put them on board the prize to Gett Ready for the Carpenters to Repair Our Sloop.
Saturday 15th. The Comp'y Q Mr. and mySelf were Examined with John Evergin and Saml. Elderidge the two English prisoners Concerning the prize. a Court was Called att 4 oClock PM. they Read Capt. Nortons petition and appointed an Agent for the Owners, so Adjourned till Munday 10 of the Clock AM.
Sunday 16th. All hands att Rest. few Godly inclin'd, it being the Lords day.
Munday 17th. The Court mett According to Adjournment. Examind Juan Baptista Domas concerning the freedom of the prisoners. took his depos'on in writing. all the Evidences [and] deposition were read in Court, Sworn too and Signed, then the Court Adjourned till Wednesday 10 of the Clock. no Lawyers in the place, the only blessing that God coud bestow on such a Litigious people.
Tuesday 18th. We Gott out Our mast and Sent it ashoar to Gett it fisht and make it fitt for the Cruize.
Wednesday 19. Att 10 AM. the Court being opened and the Libell Read I beg'd Leave of his Honour to be heard, which being Granted I spoke as follows.
May it please Your Honr.
As there is no Advocate appointed by this Hon'ble Court too Appear in behalf of the Captures[60] of a Sloop that was taken by Don Pedro Estrado July the 5th, belonging to some of his Majestys Subjects of Great Britain or Ireland, and Retaken by Capt. Benj'n Norton and Comp'y in a private Sloop of War Called the Revenge July the 28th, and brought into this Court for Condemnation, As Capt. QMr. I appear in behalf of the Owners, Capt. and Comp'y to prove that the said Sloop and Cargo togather with the three Mollattos and one Negro, all Slaves belonging to some of the Vessells or Subjects of the King of Spain, ought to be Condemned for the benefit and Use of the Captures as aforesd.